Modelo Especial Clone?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jajao44

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2010
Messages
58
Reaction score
3
Location
Millsboro
I really like Modelo Especial but all I can find is Negra clones. I know its similar to any other light lager but does anybody have any suggestions? I like Tecate also but its not quite the same.
 
I just bottled a lager and it tastes very similar to Especial. Recipe is all-grain though. I'll post if you want it, but a good portion is Vienna malt, which would need to be mashed.
 
Thanks for the recipe. One question corn starch? Is this the corn starch from one's kitchen?
 
i'm interested in this recipe but hopville isn't pulling it up (so many bugs lately!). Any way you might be able to post it here?
 
Here is the recipe as I brewed it from RCCOLA. This is close to being the best beer I have made so far. Plan to make another batch in the spring when I can lager in my garage.
Modelo Negra Clone Recipe 04/17/2012


BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Negra Modelo clone
Brewer: Wes
Asst Brewer: Beer Wench
Style: Vienna Lager
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (49.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.43 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 10.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 68.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------

5 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 43.0 %
3 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Rahr (1.6 SRM) Grain 30.1 %
3 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 25.8 %
2.0 oz Carafa II (412.0 SRM) Grain 1.1 %
1.25 oz US Hallertauer [4.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 16.6 IBUs
0.50 oz US Hallertauer [4.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 2.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Mexican Lager - Grupo Modelo (White Labs Yeast


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 10.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 14.41 qt of water at 168.2 F 152.0 F 90 min

Sparge: Drain mash tun, Batch sparge with 1 steps (5.22gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
------
Pitch yeast at 44 degrees and let it rise to 48 to 50 degrees and let it ferment for 2 to 4 weeks. Lager for another 4 to 6 weeks at 35 degrees.

Primary, 14 to 21 days, 48-52 degrees F
Diacetyl rest, 3 days, 62-65 degrees F
Secondary, 6 weeks, 34 degrees F (reduced from diacetyl rest temps to 34 degrees)
Carbonate by your chosen method.
 
Yep. It's a Charlie Papazian trick. It's the same thing you get from flaked corn but cheaper. It MUST be added to a mash to convert to fermentable sugar.
how well does it clear? i once used corn masa (what tortillas are made with) for a cream ale and it was a bit cloudy. I would love to try it again but this time using the corn starch
 
Toivo's recipe wasn't mine and is actually for Negra--this is for Especial. I think I linked to it at some other time.

Here's mine:

5.5Gal Batch (I scaled this down from my normal 7 gal batch size)
4lb 8oz. Breiss 2-Row
2lb Vienna
1lb "Argo" corn starch or flaked corn
4oz belgian caravienne 22L

.25oz magnum@ 60min. 12.1 AAU
.35 oz Saaz @ 15 min 3.9 AAU

Yeast: 2 pkg W-34/70 dry lager fermented @ 56F until airlock acvtivity slows or gravity is ~ 1.020 let temp rise to 68F for diacetyl rest for 48hrs. When gravity is stable or beer drops clear rack to secondary 14 days at 32F.

1.044OG, 1.010 FG, 15 IBUs Tinseth, 4 SRM, 4.4% ABV

Mash 1hr @ 150F

Water: 100% RO
5.8G CaCl2 mash
1.5tsp 10% phosphoric acid in sparge
Mash pH 5.4

Does it clear? You tell me. Keep this in mind about corn starch. It is what you get as a fermentable out of corn in raw form. Compared to Flaked, you get an easier to lauter mash b/c the starch converts to fermentables without the goopy bulk of the flakes. I find it adds about 1/2 the corn flavor that flaked does. For me, it's enough to lighten the body without adding too much corn flavor (which I don't like)

6Vienna.jpg
 
Does it clear? You tell me. Keep this in mind about corn starch. It is what you get as a fermentable out of corn in raw form. Compared to Flaked, you get an easier to lauter mash b/c the starch converts to fermentables without the goopy bulk of the flakes. I find it adds about 1/2 the corn flavor that flaked does. For me, it's enough to lighten the body without adding too much corn flavor (which I don't like)
6Vienna.jpg
that's incredible! definitely gonna try it, thanks a lot RCCOLA!
 
Thanks for posting the recipe. I've gotta try this corn starch thing soon :)
You're welcome. I like to mix it in with my dry grain after crushing. If you dump it into the mash, it will blob up like a marshmallow. It dissolves quickly but can give you a scare if it does that. Mixed with the grains, you notice nothing.
 
Old thread, but I'm also a fan of Modelo Especial. I have not tried the recipe, but I don't know that it has quite as much vienna in it. I just don't get a vienna character from it. Maybe 6 row and pilsen, with a gentle, floral, noble hop character and some subtle yeasty ester. I have the WLP940 yeast, which is exceptional yeast by the way, but it's very clean and crisp at 52F which is where I used it last time.
 
It could be that I used Breiss domestic Vienna. It doesn't have as much flavor as continental malt. My clone, when tasted side-by-side with an Especial, is extremely close. I keep it on tap at all times b/c everyone loves it and it's always a good choice if you just want an easy drinking pint after work.

Old thread, but I'm also a fan of Modelo Especial. I have not tried the recipe, but I don't know that it has quite as much vienna in it. I just don't get a vienna character from it. Maybe 6 row and pilsen, with a gentle, floral, noble hop character and some subtle yeasty ester. I have the WLP940 yeast, which is exceptional yeast by the way, but it's very clean and crisp at 52F which is where I used it last time.
 
It could be that I used Breiss domestic Vienna. It doesn't have as much flavor as continental malt. My clone, when tasted side-by-side with an Especial, is extremely close. I keep it on tap at all times b/c everyone loves it and it's always a good choice if you just want an easy drinking pint after work.

Ahh. This is true about Briess malts. Their dominant flavor is "none." Did you use the 2 row or 6 row version of the Vienna? The stock version is a 6 row "Vienna" and the other is a 2 row called "Goldpils Vienna."
 
brewed this a couple times now thanks rccola.
Not knowing how beersmith would calculate the corn starch. I entered it as flaked corn and added ingredients to make the 1.044 og posted. oops
result was a nice full bodied mexican lager. 75% eff
5.25 gal
5# row
2 # 4 oz vienna
5 oz caravienne 22 srm
1# corn starch
.3 oz magnum 60 min
.4 oz saaz 15 mins
wlp940
the corn starch lowered my expected mash ph by roughly .25 ph

my second try now sticking closer to rccola's recipe
4# 2row
2# 12oz vienna
5 oz caravienne
1# corn starch
.25 magnum 60 min
wlp 940

my small changes are adjusting my mash ph .25 higher to hit my target
deleting the saaz addition completely. modelo has almost no perceivable hop character.
This time after seeing how the corn starch worked I entered it into the recipe as sugar and hit my numbers that way.
this one is closer to modelo especial than last one.
both versions cleared awsomely and are nice to have on tap for an easy drinking refreshing mexi lager.
i'll post my side by side once i pick up some real modelo especial
 
brewed this a couple times now thanks rccola.
Not knowing how beersmith would calculate the corn starch. I entered it as flaked corn and added ingredients to make the 1.044 og posted. oops
result was a nice full bodied mexican lager. 75% eff
5.25 gal
5# row
2 # 4 oz vienna
5 oz caravienne 22 srm
1# corn starch
.3 oz magnum 60 min
.4 oz saaz 15 mins
wlp940
the corn starch lowered my expected mash ph by roughly .25 ph

my second try now sticking closer to rccola's recipe
4# 2row
2# 12oz vienna
5 oz caravienne
1# corn starch
.25 magnum 60 min
wlp 940

my small changes are adjusting my mash ph .25 higher to hit my target
deleting the saaz addition completely. modelo has almost no perceivable hop character.
This time after seeing how the corn starch worked I entered it into the recipe as sugar and hit my numbers that way.
this one is closer to modelo especial than last one.
both versions cleared awsomely and are nice to have on tap for an easy drinking refreshing mexi lager.
i'll post my side by side once i pick up some real modelo especial
Glad you've had good results from this recipe. It's usually on tap at my house but I haven't brewed it in awhile. When I put it together, it was never intended to be a clone but after tasting it I realized how similar it was to Modelo. However it comes out, it seems to be a recipe that craft and non-craft beer drinkers enjoy. Cheers! :mug:
 
Glad you've had good results from this recipe. It's usually on tap at my house but I haven't brewed it in awhile. When I put it together, it was never intended to be a clone but after tasting it I realized how similar it was to Modelo. However it comes out, it seems to be a recipe that craft and non-craft beer drinkers enjoy. Cheers! :mug:

Are you just adding the starch right into the mash tun? It should in theory require heating to gelatinze the starches but doing so with pure corn starch has always led to absolutely disaster for me since it just turns into jello and burns.
 
Are you just adding the starch right into the mash tun? It should in theory require heating to gelatinze the starches but doing so with pure corn starch has always led to absolutely disaster for me since it just turns into jello and burns.

I'm just being lazy and copypasta'ed what I wrote above. The enzymes in the mash will convert the corn starch quickly and easily. It must be added to a mash with base malt to convert.

I like to mix it in with my dry grain after crushing. If you dump it into the mash, it will blob up like a marshmallow. It dissolves quickly but can give you a scare if it does that. Mixed with the grains, you notice nothing.

Keep this in mind about corn starch. It is what you get as a fermentable out of corn in raw form. Compared to Flaked, you get an easier to lauter mash b/c the starch converts to fermentables without the goopy bulk of the flakes. I find it adds about 1/2 the corn flavor that flaked does. For me, it's enough to lighten the body without adding too much corn flavor (which I don't like)
 
Are you just adding the starch right into the mash tun? It should in theory require heating to gelatinze the starches but doing so with pure corn starch has always led to absolutely disaster for me since it just turns into jello and burns.

Starch extracted has granules that need to be gelatinized? I'd assume that it happens when you separate the starch from the corn.
 
as rccola said, I mixed it with my dry grain before tossing it all in my mash tun. It fully converts to sugars. The wort is cloudy this freaked me out the first time,but all of that clears in the fermentor. I batch sparge with a cooler. Maybe a direct fire tun might have problems with scorching? I don't know.

Side by side my second try is close. for those who want to clone it I suggest adding a little more caravienne to raise the srm like .25-.5 and leave everything else as is. I don't think i'll chase this one down. All I wanted was a nice refreshing mexi lager to have on tap during the summer. All of these recipes get that. I actually prefer these to the off the shelf modelo. Thanks again to rccola for a nice starting point.
 
Starch extracted has granules that need to be gelatinized? I'd assume that it happens when you separate the starch from the corn.

No, off the shelf corn starch called "native starch" in an industrial sense. It will partly gelatinize at mash and sparge temps, but not entirely. I am not claiming some hidden freemasonry knowledge here, just sharing what I have found recently in reading about this. Cargill, for one, makes partly gelatinized and totally gelatinized corn starch products. If it doesn't dissolve in water, it's not gelatinized. If I take a scoop of starch and put it in tepid or cool water, it sinks right to the bottom. It doesn't dissolve. I don't know where to buy pregelatinized starch. I think it requires industrial purchases.
 
Going to try this recipe this weekend. Thanks for the recipe. Gonna throw in some lime peels during the boil idk.
 
Glad you found this old thread. I will give this one a shot . Looks good . Not to sure about corn starch mixed in the grain but seems to work.

@Padj keep the process posted. curious on the outcome
 
I used flaked corn. Did it last weekend. Added some lime peels to the boil.
 
Did you do all the salts and acids ? When I inputed the recipe on Brun Water it was way too much . My ph and levels were off
 
I peel the limes with a potato peeler and left them in a container with a cup of sugar. The sugar draws the juices and oils out. On first boil I just threw them in my hop basket and left them there. It's now stopped fermenting so I'm going to switch to a secondary soon. I will keep you updated.
 
I did not use the salts etc. I use El Dorado water in Colorado and I have always got excellent results with this for all my beers so I don't need to change it.
 
I just brewed mine yesterday. Its sitting at 53.7 degrees as we speak. I didnt use lime peel dang it . That would have been good . Next time . Here is part of the same I kept from OG . It's really light . SRM is 4.120190427_155217.jpg
 
My looks a little darker. Probably the lime oil. I'll have to check tonight
 
Mine is nearly finished. Should be good to go in the next couple of days.

Looking at 4.3 abv
 
Back
Top